Solomon walked through the gates with a hint of unease.
He knew he was the current owner of the body, and although deep within his bones he felt he was on familiar ground, his mind remained wary of everything around him.
He didn’t take another step.
Instead, he resumed inspecting his surroundings for any danger that might threaten him.
Another thing he had learned from books.
You could never be too cautious.
Everyone only had one life, after all.
The estate was truly a breathtaking sight to behold.
He was certain that even if he found a job and worked a million times harder than he normally would, he still wouldn’t earn enough money to own such a property.
Marble walkways stretched through the estate, while mana lamps illuminated one after another with every step the servants took despite it still being daytime.
Once again, he found himself fascinated by the wonders of magic.
Two fountains stood at opposite ends of the courtyard.
Water flowed upward before cascading gracefully back to where it had come from.
The sound of birds singing reached his ears making him close his eyes briefly to accept the beauty of nature.
His breath caught in his throat.
When he looked to his right, he gasped.
Magic was being used only a short distance away.
One he hadn’t seen before.
Nature Magic.
It was being used to maintain the small flower garden beside the fence.
The flowers glowed with vibrant health as the final rays of sunlight brushed across their petals.
A whistle echoed in the distance, and the servant standing beside him, along with everyone tending the gardens—including the maids—hurried into neat lines before bowing.
Solomon froze.
He was hesitant.
He was confused.
He had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do in a situation like this.
So he simply stood there, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, unable to hide the awkwardness he currently felt.
“Welcome home, Young Master Solomon,” they all said in unison.
Solomon jumped slightly, startled by the sudden greeting.
He almost looked over his shoulder to make sure no one else was standing there before quickly straightening his posture and standing tall.
“They’re talking to me…”
He still felt nervous, yet he concealed it beneath a composed expression.
He simply nodded.
After taking one deep breath and slowly letting it out, he finally made his way toward the mansion doors.
Halfway there, an elderly butler appeared beside him.
His posture was flawless, undoubtedly refined through years of experience and discipline.
His expression remained calm, while every movement felt deliberate and perfectly measured, wasting not a single ounce of energy.
The elderly butler cleared his throat before looking down at Solomon with wise old eyes that seemed to have witnessed more than both of Solomon’s lifetimes combined.
He calmly introduced himself.
“My name is Leonardo.
I’m the head butler,” he said before stepping ahead of Solomon and leading the way.
“Wait…
he just introduced himself for no reason.”
“I’m supposed to know him.”
“So why did he introduce himself?”
A familiar ding from the system echoed in Solomon’s mind.
His heart skipped a beat.
For an instant, he feared his identity had been discovered.
Mission Complete
A blue window appeared before him.
Solomon was mildly surprised by its sudden appearance, but he wasn’t nearly as startled as before.
He immediately scrolled down to inspect the promised rewards.
Main Mission Completed
Return Home
Rewards Obtained:
100 EXP
Beginner Spellbook
System Progress +5%
Unbeknownst to Leonardo, Solomon tapped the spellbook, eager to view its contents as soon as possible.
Leonardo abruptly stopped and turned around.
Solomon walked straight into him, staggering backward before catching himself just in time.
“Were you listening?” Leonardo asked.
His face remained calm and unreadable.
The question was simple.
Only three words.
Three words he was embarrassed to answer.
He also couldn’t exactly admit that he had been scrolling through an imaginary screen called a system.
“No,” he answered honestly.
Instead of reprimanding him, Leonardo merely turned back around and began his explanation from the beginning.
Solomon quietly let out a sigh of relief before following after him.
“Your room has remained untouched for the past six months while you were away.
Any letters that arrived for you have been placed upon your study table.
Your father is currently away on a business trip.
Your sister is serving with the Royal Knights.”
The butler was remarkably patient.
He explained everything calmly and clearly, making it easy even for Solomon to understand.
The sounds of their footsteps echoed across the hallway with each step they took towards their destination.
Eventually, they stopped before a pair of sturdy oak doors.
Leonardo bowed before pushing one of them open.
Solomon looked down at him.
Several questions crossed his mind.
In the end, he chose not to ask any of them.
Instead, he quietly stepped inside as the door closed gently behind him.
He waited until Leonardo’s footsteps had completely faded into the distance before summoning the system once more.
The rewards were still there.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
For a moment, he had thought they might disappear if left unclaimed.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
Solomon quickly tapped the glowing spellbook icon.
A tome formed entirely from light before dissolving into countless golden particles.
Knowledge flooded his mind.
Basic Light Magic: Lumen has been mastered.
According to the information flowing into him, it was a simple spell designed to create a sphere of light rather than serve as an offensive spell.
“I got a spellbook…” he whispered softly.
Knowledge has been integrated.
Host may cast the spell immediately.
Solomon assumed a rather strange stance.
He held both arms out in front of him.
His hips angled slightly forward.
His feet spread apart several inches.
Finally, he cupped his hands together before slowly opening them.
“Lumen.”
A glowing sphere of light bloomed into existence within the room.
Moments later, it quietly faded away, leaving behind a nostalgic warmth.
He slowly surveyed the room, trying to understand who the real Solomon Ashbourne had been.
Solomon’s room was modest but exceptionally well cared for.
Soft cream-colored walls gave the space a warm, welcoming atmosphere, while polished wooden floorboards stretched from the entrance to the wide window at the far end of the room.
The final rays of sunlight poured through the open curtains, filling the room with a gentle glow as a cool breeze drifted inside.
A neatly made bed rested against one wall, accompanied by a small bedside drawer.
Everything had been carefully maintained throughout his absence, which was only to be expected.
Opposite the bed stood a sturdy wooden wardrobe, its polished doors firmly shut.
Near the window rested a simple desk and chair, creating a peaceful corner for studying.
Several books had been stacked neatly across the desk alongside well-worn training journals filled with years of practice.
The walls displayed a handful of framed family portraits, their faded smiles preserving memories of happier days.
A nearby bookshelf held even more books, each carefully arranged in its proper place.
Nothing in the room was expensive or extravagant, yet everything belonged exactly where it was.
It was the room of someone who valued learning, discipline, and the memories they refused to leave behind.
He slowly pieced together who Solomon Ashbourne really was.
An average noble.
Not particularly important.
A manipulator of Light Magic.
He hadn’t been mentioned much in the novel.
A sense of relief washed over him.
For now, he could remain anonymous.
“Good…
this should work.”
Solomon couldn’t shake the feeling that he was invading someone else’s personal space, and he didn’t like it.
So he decided to go to the one place that had always made him feel welcome.
The library.
Now that he had returned to the mansion, he instinctively knew where everything was, almost as though it were second nature.
He navigated through countless halls and passageways before finally reaching the library.
Pushing the doors open, he took a deep breath.
The familiar scent of books filled his lungs, making him sigh in pure bliss.
The scent of aged parchment mixed with polished wood giving off a homely vibe.
The library was enormous and probably contained thousands of books, perhaps even more than his eyes could currently see.
He wandered between the towering shelves, gently tracing his fingers along the edges of each section until he stopped before one titled:
Foundation of Mana
He selected one of the books and quickly flipped through its pages.
From what he could gather after only a few minutes of reading, mana flowed through special pathways that existed within every individual’s body.
Meditation was the most fundamental and necessary method for expanding one’s mana pool.
Overusing mana temporarily damaged those pathways.
Spell circles shaped mana into different effects.
“Magic is more profound than I thought,” he muttered before closing the book and carefully returning it to its original place.
He was beginning to realize that magic was just as much science as it was art.
A smile spread across his face.
“I could spend weeks in here.”
Following the instructions he had just read, he found a comfortable position and immediately sat down cross-legged.
Closing his eyes, he focused inward.
His breathing gradually steadied.
He searched within himself.
He tried to sense his mana pool.
Minutes passed.
Nothing.
Other than a sweaty forehead and a face beginning to show frustration.
Just as he was about to give up…
He felt it.
Small.
Flickering.
Faint.
He concentrated on it, carefully guiding the tiny streams of light flowing throughout his body.
Mana.
It was actually flowing through him.
A subtle warmth spread through his chest as mana began circulating fully.
Excitement surged through his chest, but he resisted the urge to move, maintaining his meditation for another five minutes.
The sensation was strangely addictive.
Yet at the same time…
Peaceful.
Refreshing.
When he finally opened his eyes several minutes later, he felt ever so slightly stronger.
The familiar ding of the system echoed through his mind once more.
This time, Solomon merely glanced at it while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Passive Skill Acquired
Mana Sense Lv.
1
Solomon smiled.
So the system rewarded dedication.
He could definitely work with that.
A few hours later, Solomon was on his way back to his room when a servant informed him that dinner was ready and would be served shortly.
He followed the servant to the dining hall.
The entire room fell silent the moment he entered.
He walked toward the head of the table.
He had always wanted to sit at the head of one.
The instant he settled into the chair, exhaustion seemed to swallow him whole.
The long walk and journey to the capital were finally catching up with him.
To keep himself from drifting off to sleep, he surveyed the dining hall while patiently waiting for his meal.
The aroma of the dishes reached him before they were even placed on the table.
Then he noticed something strange.
The female servants gave orders.
The male servants quietly obeyed them like loyal puppies incapable of disobeying their masters.
One young footman accidentally served the wrong wine.
He immediately dropped to his knees and repeatedly apologized for his mistake, as though he had no other responsibility in the world.
His hands trembled.
No one reacted.
Everyone behaved as though this was perfectly normal.
Solomon felt deeply uncomfortable.
He couldn’t explain why.
But he knew one thing.
It shouldn’t have been normal.
After dinner, he returned to his room and sat at the desk near the window.
Lowering his gaze toward the tabletop, he noticed the letters Leonardo had mentioned earlier that day.
He sorted through them one by one.
Some were immediately deemed unimportant.
Others received only a brief glance before being set aside.
Then…
He stopped.
One envelope bore the Royal Seal.
It was an invitation.
The embossed seal caught the candlelight and shone faintly before he peeled it open.
An invitation to the Royal Academy Entrance Examination, which would be held one month later.
The moment he finished reading it and gently placed it back on the desk…
The system returned.
Main Quest Updated
Enroll in the Royal Academy
Reward:
Beginner Spell
System Shop Unlock +10%
New Story Route
The words “New Story Route” glowed faintly, making Solomon curious.
Like everything else in this unfamiliar world…
All he could do was wait.
“So…
this is how my story begins.”
With those quiet words, he prepared for bed.
Far away…
Seven lives felt a pull they couldn’t explain.
The System’s words are emboldened.
in case you hadn’t noticed yet.